Ghost Story
by T1gerCat
Summary: When Charlie gets a call for a B&E but there's no breaking or entering, it's up to the next generation of Gilbert-Swans to cross the ghost over and still have time to go to their dates. Sequel to "Christmas with Family".
1. Chapter 1

Ghost story

A/N: Hey guys. This is the 3rd installment to my "Jeremy has a story of his own" universe. Reading the previous stories "Compulsion and Decision" and "Christmas with family" is adviced but not required. The story is based on one too many hidden objects game and specifically "Hidden Objects". Enjoy!

A/N2: Oh yeah, I own nill!

Jeremy was whistling sitting next to a clapping Charlie. They were attending Bella's graduation along with the grandparents and Renee. Phil wasn't able to make it thanks to him having broken his leg while attempting a slide. Yeah, he's that good of a player. When Bella proposed to her mother that she should stay and deal with her hubby, Renee had rolled her eyes and asked her nephew to pick her up. She wanted another ride on the bike!

"You made it"

Jeremy teased his older by a year cousin as she walked up to their family grinning.

"Now we have to see if you will too"

Bella poked fun right back at him. The two had met for the first time a year ago when Jeremy's other cousin (who was adopted by his parents and raised as his sister) had all but thrown him out of the town by asking her boyfriend's brother to compel him to leave. It didn't work but Jeremy left, hurt by his sister's actions.

Now he had reconciled with his paternal grandparents and lived with Bella and her father in their small town. A town that had its own paranormal and supernatural activity.

"You know you'd be bored in a normal town"

Was Bella's only response every time the brown eyed, floppy haired teenager complained.

"Kids I have to go"

Charlie called standing form the table of the diner. Whereas everyone else had gone to fancier places in Port Angeles to eat on graduation day, the Gilbert-Swans had opted to go to the empty diner.

"What is it?"

"B&E"

Throwing money on the table Charlie made a run for his cruiser, swearing under his breath. He had promised himself he'd take the day off! Bella and Jeremy exchanged a glance and in one voice mumbled excuses and made a bee-line for Jeremy's bike.

"The one day I chose to wear white"

Bella grumbled lifting her Marilyn style white dress higher as she settled behind Jeremy and the green Yamaha bike sped behind Charlie's cruiser.

The two vehicles drove straight through town and pulled in front of what looked like a clearing in the woods. A mansion was built in the clearing protected by a black, ugly, metallic fence. Even though the day was bright, the thick woods around the property concealed the bright orb, making the mansion seem unfriendly and downright evil.

It was also deathly quiet.

"Shouldn't there be more sounds if there was a burglary?"

Jeremy asked aloud taking off his helmet. Charlie nodded and exited the cruiser making sure to wrap his cop belt around his waist and rest his hand on the gun that was safely there.

"Stay here kids"

He ordered but he knew he'd be ignored. As he reached for the digital lock besides the gate an eerie form in white reached a pale, bony finger straight through the alarm. As the form shrieked in an evil cackle the digital alarm gave sparks and died.

The form disappeared

"Did you see that?"

Bella whispered. Jeremy nodded

"My God! What happened?"

Charlie asked drawing his fingers back feeling the particles of eletricuty around them. Jeremy and Bella exchanged a look

"A ghost"

"And it doesn't want us inside"

The next generation of Gilbert-Swans replied. Charlie sighed closing his eyes momentarily. Ever since he took Jeremy in, he had become accustomed to... let's say more than met the eye. Even though he had long ago been informed of the treaty that involved the local werewolves and vampires, spirits and ghosts were new to him.

"I don't suppose you two will stay out of it"

Charlie proposed. With an incredulous look, Jeremy shook his head making his slightly long hair shake like their dogs.

"I thought so. Be careful"

He advised and using his radio he told dispatch to cancel the backup. The last thing he needed, the last thing everyone needed, was for Bella and Jeremy to be seen as they died and come back to life. Worse, to be seen talking to ghosts!

Wordlessly the two teens popped open the seat of the bike and retrieved identical beige bags to sling over their shoulders. The bags were equipped with notebooks and walkie talkies and band aids. This wasn't their first rodeo.

Looking around Jeremy located a broken knob. In the bushes next to the closed gate Bella and Charlie found two more knobs. Charlie took them and pried open the alarm. Fumbling inside he managed to reconnect everything.

The circular insignia on the double gates began moving until the gates unlocked and opened by their own power. the cobblestone path was illuminated by bear shaped lights that revealed topiaries in animal shapes littered in the vast yard.

"Is it me or is anyone feeling like we're in a hidden objects game?"

Jeremy asked. Charlie nodded as Bella took a few tentative steps forward. Crossing the yard the group reached the double doors of the mansion. They were open.

"Is anyone here? It's the police"

Charlie called out. A pained moan was their only answer and the three entered the mansion. Just inside the doors there was a large room. Furniture was covered with white cloth everywhere, no light entered it and the air stank with dust. An elderly man was fallen among the chaos.

Charlie ran kneeling next to him. Looking for a pulse he found none and he began compressions.

"I have to take him to a hospital"

He announced.

"Go, we have the bike"

Bella reasoned with her father. Jeremy who was walking inside the room looking around turned and offered his assistance in carrying the man to the cruiser. Bella looked around at the room only then noticing the life size play Mobil toys standing guards on all doors and the hanging toys from the chandeliers.

"It looks like a real side dollhouse"

Jeremy commented joining her.

"I only hope no child is playing Jerry"

Bella retorted. Cautiously the two cousins walked around looking for the ghost.

"Someone hasn't paid the bills in a while"

Jeremy commented tumbling through a stuck of bills, all way past their due time, on a dusty table. Bella knelt to a fallen picture book. Inside it she found pictures of toy girls and various paper dresses.

"You're right. Everything is covered in dust. Huh, I had one of these as a child"

Bella said softly reaching for a dusty white bear. As her fingers were about to take the toy a small black cat came from underneath a table and scratched her

"ow"

"You okay?"

"Yeah"

"Take this"

Jeremy tossed his kneeling cousin a toy mouse he had stepped on. Giving the cat the mouse, Bella retrieved the bear and a lighter that was hidden underneath it and lit all the candles in the room.

Jeremy picked a photograph from another table.

"The father looks like the guy Charlie took. What was he doing all alone though?"

"Beats me"

A noise was heard behind on the closed doors. Exchanging one look they ran to the closed and locked door. in front of it was a mess of fallen toys.

"Let me guess, we need to comb through them"

Bella said. Jeremy let a deep breath

"Just like a hidden object game"

He repeated his cousin's earlier observation. Hearing a soft murmur besides her ear Bella signed and complied. Going through the pile Bella grabbed a medicine bottle. All sounds stopped

"Come on, we need to take this to the hospital"

Jeremy urged her and blowing the candles out the two teens mounted the bike heading the same way Charlie had taken earlier.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Arriving at the hospital, they were greeted by Charlie, Carlisle Cullen and a bespectacled forty something year old man who looked as if he was about to cry.

"We found this at the house"

Jeremy handed the medicine bottle to Charlie.

"Is this your father's Daniel?"

"Yes... I didn't know it was this bad; I haven't visited for a while. Dad had a housekeeper"

The man explained himself quickly.

"This will be useful. Excuse me"

Dr. Cullen, resident doctor and leader of the local vampire coven/family, took the bottle and went inside a room.

"What about the burglary?"

Charlie asked Daniel. The man shrugged. He had been called by the police and went straight to the hospital. A commotion from the room Carlisle went through had everyone running.

"What happened?"

Charlie took control of the situation. Carlisle was leaning over the thrashing old man holding him down gently but firmly

"He's having a seizure. Help me hold him down and someone grab those pills"

Carlisle spoke calmly but in a hurried tone. Charlie and Daniel went by him while Bella knelt looking for the discarded pills. Jeremy however had his attention turned to a faint woman, flickering and out of the room.

She was young, in her 20s or 30s. She had light brown hair but her dress seemed old, doll like.

"What do you want?"

Jeremy asked her. He wasn't as quiet as he thought he was though and Daniel turned to him confused as soon as Carlisle administrated the medicine to Daniel's father

"Who are you talking to?"

Charlie sighed. This was the part he hated.

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Bella asked hoping that the question would come off as less intrusive if it came from a girl. Only it didn't. Daniel chuckled darkly and humorlessly

"Of course not. Thank you for saving my father sheriff. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make assume phone calls"

They all watched the man with the glasses leave the room.

"That went well"

Jeremy sighed. Carlisle turned to them holding a plastic baggie

"Mr. Croll was holding this when you brought him Charlie"

the vampire held the baggie out to them. He knew about the ghost thing of course. Things like that don't stay hidden among the supernatural. Holding the baggie Jeremy's eyes focused and unfocused.

In front of his eyes a long row of toys appeared. Childish cry reached his ears. He saw a flash of... a train station.

"Jerry..."

Bella reached for him once her cousin began stumbling. Shaking his head Jeremy's eyes focused on her worried face

"I'm okay. We need to go to the train station"

The train station was located a few miles out of the small town. It wasn't much, just a small building besides two sets of train trucks with a parking lot and a few rows of lockers.

"There's nothing here"

Bella exclaimed once they reached it and parked the bike. The train station was empty, not a soul around, living or otherwise.

"Let's look around"

Jeremy proposed and the two began wandering around. Jeremy headed to the notification board that was hanging near the doors.

"Nothing"

The teenage boy sighed. He had been excited earlier to help Mr. Croll but now... not so much. Bella noticed and put her hand on his shoulder

"It's alright jerry. Things are never so easy with your gift, you know that. Come one, let's go back to the house; explain ourselves and do some research on Mr. Croll. I don't like going in blindfolded"

"Sure sure"

Bella frowned. Jeremy had picked Charlie's catchphrase way too easily

Stopping at Charlie's house they saw a message on the calling machine.

"5 bucks it's from the grandparents"

Jeremy joked.

"I don't place bets I know I'll lose"

Bella retorted and went to her room to change in soft blue jeans and a bright red tank top. When she came back down she saw Jeremy sitting on the laptop at the kitchen slurping juice

"Found anything?"

"Only some general info about the family. Did you know they used to own the biggest toy brand in America?"

"No I didn't know that. Who was on the phone?"

"Aunt Renée. She said she took her parents to Port Angeles and she wants us to meet them for dinner"

"Let's hope this will be over by dinner time then"

Climbing the bike again Jeremy drove them to the mansion. The doors were still open and the two went inside with no trouble. Until Bella's foot caught on something and she fell down sprawled over the burgundy carpet.

"You aright?"

"Yeah yeah. Who leaves a pair of sears on the floor of a living room?"

She complained handing the tool to Jeremy who in turn helped her sit up. As Bella dusted herself, father and son Croll walked inside the house.

"How are you Mr. Croll?"

Bella asked the elder man. Mr. Croll shook his head entrusting the teens with news of his housekeeper calling them.

"Did she mention why she left?"

Jeremy asked lightly ruder than Bella had been earning him an elbow to the chest as Bella glared at him. Old Mr. Croll grabbed both Jeremy's hands

"You have to help me son. I know that you see her too. I love her so much but I'm too tired to help her. No Lamb, not tonight"

The man's dark blue eyes widened as he wheezed. Bella's breath had been caught in her throat hearing the pet name. Daniel stepped between them and forcibly guided his father away from them.

"I trust you two can find your way out"

He said coldly.

"Actually Mr. Croll can I have a word? I think your father is correct, he does see your mother's spirit and she may just want him all to herself"

Jeremy said equally coldly.

"Ghosts aren't real kid. Grow up and get out"

Daniel all but shouted

"I don't think so. The house belongs to your father so until he asks us to leave, we ain't going nowhere"

Bella stood by her cousin. Upset Daniel walked away.

"There is always a chance the son it trying to off the father you know"

She told Jeremy softly

"Yeah, I know"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Walking upstairs the two were greeted by a long double corridor that moonlit as storage.

"Someone really needs to clean this place up"

Jeremy commended

"Ohh a train"

He exclaimed falling to his knees next to a broken toy train track. Thumbing through the crap in his bag he procured a piece of track he had retrieved at the train station and with a pair of pliers he found under a blue velvet sofa he fixed the truck quickly. Turning the switch on, the seventeen year old boy laughed happily as the signature tut tut was heard and a yellow and red wooden toy train came to them. It was dragging a green trunk behind it.

"Now to unlock this"

Bella knelt next to her cousin. The trunk had an old fashioned lock of four horse images. Bella frowned trying to understand the combination so she could unlock it

"Let me. Elena had one of these as a child"

Jeremy said and slowly turning all images he found four identical ones. The trunk was unlocked. Inside it was a broken doll leg and a purple writing pad. The pad had some sort of writing on it but it was extremely fade

Bella put both in her bag. They'd examine them later. Bella left Jeremy to play with the train and walked down the corridor to a room. It was donned in pink and cluttered with even more toys.

Lighting the single candle of the Room with Jeremy's lighter she began looking around. She had the sinking suspicion that it was a little boy's room. Was it possible the ghost was on a little sister of Daniel's instead of his mother?

After a thorough search through the closet guided by the voice in her ear she emerged with a framed photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Crow and a little boy and a clock hand.

"Did you find anything?"

Jeremy asked joining her in the room.

"Nope, only a photograph and a clock hand. Let's see if we can read the notebook"

The two teens sat on the double bed side by side. Bella put the notepad down between their bodies

"Do you have any charcoal with you?"

"Why would I have any?"

"You're the sketch artist cuz, not me"

Grumbling Jeremy handed Bella a piece of charcoal from his bag. Gently Bella pressed it all over the notepad.

"It's an address"

Jeremy exclaimed.

"Grab coffee and go?"

"Grab coffee and go"

Stopping for coffee at the coffee stand in the town square Bella was approached by a blond woman with short cropped hair

"Excuse me; are you the sheriff's daughter?"

"That's me. How can I help you?"

The woman stood awkwardly

"My name is Greta. I'm Mr. Crow's housekeeper"

"Right, he's okay you know. He's back at the house if you want to visit him"

Bella said softly. Greta shook her head

"No! I'm not going back there, that old house is haunted"

Greta exclaimed. Over Greta's shoulder the ghost woman flickered. Bella searched Jeremy's eyes and pointed to Greta. Jeremy, holding the two paper cups of coffee, caught Bella's eyes and nodded. Raising one of the cups to his lips he went after ghost lady while Bella distracted the woman.

The ghost lady was standing by a stand of produce. awkwardly Jeremy stood by her as she observed the available product.

"Planning on making ratatouille for dinner?"

He asked. Ghost lady vanished.

"I suck at small talk"

With a pout that was worthy of Elena, Jeremy returned to Bella and handed her one of the coffee cups.

"I don't know who was distracting whom Jerry causes since the moment ghost lady vanished, the housekeeper was gone. Did you have any luck?"

"Nah, the moment I asked her about dinner, ghost lady vanished"

"Back to the manor?"

Bella drained her coffee with a single gulp

"Yes sir"

"We need to get you better wheels. My thighs begin to hurt"

Bella joked as the two entered the manor and walked to the atrium. In a large green armchair Mr. Crow was sitted. The atrium was filled with smoke

"Mr. Crow?"

"Mr. Crow!"

Both teens shouted. Mr. Crow was staring blankly into space.

"We need to get the sprinklers working. I can't see through this mist"

"You do the sprinklers; I'll try to get Mr. Crow talking"

"Why do I have to do the heavy lifting?"

Jeremy complained good naturedly

"You're the man and if I try to do it, I'll break both legs"

Bella winked at their joke. In their first rodeo she had gone down 2 flights of stairs thanks to a mean ghost and broke her knees. Instead of rushing her to an ER she took one of Grayson's tablets and the vampire blood healed her. Of course Charlie and Jeremy all but locked her in her room for the next day where in retaliation, Bella put on you tube vids of Jeremy disco dancing in his boxers. His very manly boxers with sponge bob on them.

Jeremy shuddered at the memory. Instead of replying, he began looking around for a fan. Fallen in the midst was a rusty fan belt and standing on the table he put it in place and using a wrench from his bag he tightened it. All he had to do then was turn the fan on and crank a window open.

Bella fed the old man one of his pills from a box on the floor and smiled as Mr. Crow's crisis was over.

"He must pay"

Ghost lady sneered as Daniel Crow entered the atrium. Both Bella and Jeremy flinched at the pure venom in the ghost's tone. Daniel remained cool as an ice cube while his father looked troubled

"You saw her, didn't you? I'd hoped..."

Mr. Crow gasped putting both hands over his chest. All hostility was gone from Daniel's tone as he turned to his father scared

"Pops! Oh no pop, are you alright?"

The bespectacled man turned his light eyes to the teenagers as they glazed over.

"How dare you two break into my father's house?"

"The door was open"

Bella replied.

"Plus the ghost was here"

Jeremy backed Bella up. Daniel Crow served the two teens a glare that would make the meanest vampire flinch and run to hide

"I don't know what your game is, but there is no such thing as a ghost. I want you to stay away from my father; you're feeding the delusions of a sick man"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"How did it go last night?"

Charlie asked Jeremy and Bella as they sat around the breakfast table. Dinner had been super fast and secretive as everyone counted their words. The Gilberts had been contacted by Elena who wanted money, Renee had a pregnancy scare and was freaking out, Charlie was seeing someone and didn't know how to broach the subject while Jeremy and Bella had their ghost things.

"It didn't"

Jeremy sighed putting a spoonful of cereal in his mouth

"The son refuses to believe in the sheer possibility of ghosts and the father is close to having a heart attack the moment he thinks he sees the ghost"

Bella took a sip of her vanilla coffee

"Any ideas of who the ghost is and what it wants?"

Charlie asked drinking his coffee.

"My vote is for the wife. She died pretty violently"

"I think it's a little girl. The presence was strong in a kid's room and I doubt a grown person would have a room like that"

Jeremy and Bella had different opinions. Charlie sighed

"What are you going to do now?"

Both teens shrugged

"Go at it again; hoping the son isn't at the house"

Bella proposed. Jeremy winced

"I have a date tonight, how possible you think it is for the ghost thing to be over by 8pm?"

Bella stared at her cousin raising both eyebrows

"That's what I thought too"

"Jerry!"

Bella called as the towel wrapped Jeremy walked in front of her room to go to his own.

"Look at this"

She pointed at her computer's screen. Jeremy crouched to see

"Mrs. Crow was being haunted?"

He frowned. That made as much sense as Alison DiLaurentis having her own -A-. Bella shrugged one shoulder.

"Unless it was done for publicity when they had the company then yea. The ghost isn't Mrs. Crow"

Bella said looking at her cousin. Jeremy nodded and sighed.

"Back to square one"

An hour later Bella pulled in front of the mansion driving as Jeremy was altering his lunch date for a dinner one.

The house keys were stored in a hide-a-potty next to the door and Bella walked decisively inside the mansion her heels clicking loudly on the floor.

Mr. Crow was rumbling about the lamb and violets lying on the bed of the kiddie room. Daniel Crow was standing nearby watching at his father.

"Can we talk?"

Jeremy asked Daniel softly. On the way there, the cousins decided they'd switch roles. Bella would play bad cop and Jeremy would play good cop. Daniel Crow nodded resigned.

"My father has been getting worse. I even found this in his bed"

"Like the other doll pieces I found?"

The bespectacled man gave Jeremy a creepy doll head.

"For the record, I still don't believe you and I think you're scamming my father. But if these are his last days..."

Daniel Crow broke down and a single tear made its way down his cheek. It broke Jeremy's heart. A shrieking sound came from the hallway. It was obvious Daniel Crow heard nothing

"Stay here"

Bella advised Jeremy who only had to glance at the troubled Mr. Crow before nodding. Walking fast Bella let the sound guide her to the hallway. The sound came from upstairs, the attic.

"But how do I go up there?"

Looking around for a possible cord to open the hidden passage Bella bumped her knee on the green trunk.

"When in Rome..."

Kneeling next to it she once again heard the childish voice in her head telling her what to look for in the trunk

"Only a child would be this playful"

She mused. Having completed her list of items she was rewarded when something bumped under the trunk and fumbling around she came with a wooden sun tile that she put in her bag with the rest of junk this ghost had rewarded them with. Dusting her knees she stood again and stepping on the blue velvet sofa she reached to touch the trapdoor leading to the attic.

"Of course it's locked"

She chastised herself. It was a lock with shapes. One triangle, one round and one rectangle. Going through her bag she retrieved a round tile with a star on it. She raised it to the lock.

"Perfect fit"

Walking back to the room she poked her head in

"Got any tiles on you jerry?"

"Nope. Why?"

"The trapdoor to the attic is locked with tiles. I need two more to open it"

"I think I saw something at the train station. Can you stay here while I go check?"

"Sure"

In reality Jeremy had another reason for going at the train station. He had found a tumbler in Mr. Crow's room for one of the lockers at the train station. Parking his bike at the parking lot he looked around for the lockers

"Of course a tree fell blocking the door. Why would this be any easier?"

Jeremy grumbled and pushed the tree away swearing and sweating. When he was done and put the tumbler he found with the others he was faced with yet another lock. Unable to make any logical sense of the images shown he began turning tem around mindlessly until it locker had enough and unlocked itself. Inside the locker was a single triangular tile

"Why on earth would an old man go to this trouble just to lock up his attic?"

Returning at the mansion he opted to spend some alone with his thoughts. So instead of going at the room to see Bella and the others, he turned to go to the atrium. In front of a shapeless shrub was a picture of an elephant

"It certainly fits the theme"

Jeremy mused and grabbing a pair of garden shears he began clipping away at the shrub and was rewarded with another tile. This one was a rentable. Returning to the hallway he unlocked the hatch to the attic and pulled the ladder down. Hearing the noise Daniel Crow rounded the corner holding a baseball bat.

"Oh its you"

The man in the green shirt said. Jeremy took a long satisfying sip of the bottled water from his bag and pointed at the hatch

"We can go up now"

Daniel Crow squirmed but in the end he nodded and climbed up the rickety ladder. Jeremy followed suit. The attic was equally cluttered

"I don't see anyone up here"

Daniel Crow frowned. Jeremy barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"That doesn't mean no one is up here"

He replied smartly. With that, Jeremy dismissed the older, skeptical man and began looking around. His inner ghost-o-meter led him to a large box underneath the circular window. A laughing voice in his head guided him through the mess in the box until he found his prize. A moon tile.

Then he busied himself by fixing a rocking horse. As the soothing whoosh whoosh of the rocking horse was heard Daniel Crow sneered

"Should we really be wasting time fixing up old crap?"

"It's important"

Jeremy snapped. Rocking the horse again Jeremy was hit by a vision. In his mind's eye he saw the attic brand new, clean and tidy with the heavy closet on the wall being moved to reveal a door.

Blinking furiously as his vision cleared Jeremy neared the closet. Next to it on the wall, far too close for safety, was a single candle holder. Grabbing one white candle from his floor Jeremy put it in the holder.

Immediately with a whirling sound the heavy closet rolled to the side.

"There's the door"

Jeremy said smartly. Daniel's eyes widened

"How did you know that was there?"

Jeremy shrugged. He knew the older man wouldn't believe him


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Going through the hidden passageway Jeremy and Daniel Croll found themselves in a dinner bedroom. The room was painted soft blue and had hanging moons.

"Did you know this room was here?"

Jeremy asked the older man.

"No, whose is it?"

Daniel replied. Jeremy stared at the man although he had a good idea. Bella's theory seemed to make more and more sense. Ignoring the older man, Jeremy began snooping.

Pushed up against a wall was a white single bed and next to it stood a white trunk. Going through the contents of it Jeremy was rewarded with a bunch of bolts and a chain cutter.

Grabbing the last item he turned to the green toy chest and forcibly cut the chains that were holding it closed. Inside it was a doll box with the torso of a doll. Emptying his bag on the floor Jeremy made quick work of assembling the parts of the doll he and Bella had retrieved in the previous day.

Feeling more than slightly childish he dressed the assembled doll in a pink baby dress with pink socks and black Mary Jane shoes. He made sure to comb the doll's soft hair and attach a ribbon.

The doll suddenly exclaimed.

"I'm Toddling Tina. I can walk"

In a crystal clear voice. Scares Jeremy threw the doll on the bed and crab crawled backwards calling out for his mommy.

"Why are you calling your mommy?"

Davis asked the younger boy amused

"My daddy's family has guns"

Jeremy deadpanned as the ghost lady showed up again. Looking from the doll to the ghost Jeremy had an epiphany.

"Who are you?"

He asked the ghost softly. His suspicions were confirmed when the ghost exclaimed childishly

"I can walk! I can walk!"

A strong draft of wind engulfed Daniel who raised his hands to protect himself

"Make it stop!"

The man in the green shirt shouted. Jeremy turned to face the angry ghost

"Stop it. Don't hurt him"

The ghost pouted at him. It would work if Jeremy hadn't grown up living with a master of pouts. Taking the doll in one hand and pulling his bag over his shoulder, Jeremy laid a hand over Daniel's arms pulling him out of the room

"Come on Daniel; let's go find your father"

Risking one last look over his shoulder Jeremy saw the ghost looking at him sadly. Now the woman was resting on metallic crunches.

They found Mr. Croll and Bella in the atrium where Bella was feeding the frail older man soup as he told her stories of how forks used to be back when he was young.

"Hey guys"

Bella's deep brown eyes raked over Jeremy wanting to make sure he was alright. Jeremy smiled at the concern and sitting down he handed the doll to her.

"What can you tell me about this doll Mr. Croll?"

Bella passed her fingers softly over the doll feeling the soft fabric of its clothes. Like Jeremy she recognized the clothes as the clothes of the ghost. Looking at the doll, the elder crow went paler than he already was and shook his head weakly

"Not tonight Lamb, not tonight!"

Bella put the doll on the glass topped table and reached to touch the old man

"What's happening?"

She asked Daniel who shook his head handing a glass of water to his father.

"He's getting worse. I need to call Greta again, Pops always likes having her around"

"I'll find a phone"

Bella exclaimed and nodding to Jeremy she passed the duty of protecting the man to her cousin before she left the room. She had seen a phone somewhere in that hallway. She had no idea why but inside the property no cell phone had signal.

That's never a good sign.

Finding the phone I saw it was missing its battery.

"Strange"

With a bad feeling I left the property to be able to use my phone and call Greta. She said she'd be right over and she was. By the time Bella had joined the others at the atrium; the plump woman had joined up and was fussing over Mr. Croll

"Greta, did you know about the hidden room in the attic?"

Jeremy questioned. The woman shook her head

"I never went up there. It is too scary for me. There was thumping and then things rattled down through the walls"

The woman admitted.

"I'll stay here. Why don't you..."

Jeremy pointed his head at the other side of the house, at Mr. Crow's room. Bella nodded and excused herself. In Mr. Croll's room she saw flickering in front of the closet. With a soft sign Bella went there and let the voices guide her through the cluster of objects to what she needed. It was heavy silver and gold music box

Taking it to the bed Bella turned it around in her hands looking for a way to get it to work again. It seemed to be missing a jewel on the top. Maybe it was in the hidden room?

With that thought Bella left the box on the bed and hurried to the attic and the hidden room. Repeating Jeremy's steps she began looking at the chest but all she found was a knife and some tape.

"What behind that sheet?"

The dark haired girl asked aloud. When she, thankfully, got no answer she cut through the sheet that covered the wall next to the bed

"This is beautiful"

She breathed seeing a mural. It featured the sun and the moon with stars in the sky, a green field, trees that resembled lollipops, flowers and two lambs.

"Lambs"

Bella muttered. Biting her bottom lip she went through her over stuffed bag and came up with two wooden tiles. A sun and a moon.

"It's worth a try"

She supposed and pushed the two constellations in the mural filling the ripped drawings perfectly. Something green caught her eye and she reached under the bed for it. It was a green gem. It had the same size as the missing part of the music box. With a smile on her face Bella returned to the bedroom and fit the jewel.

It fit like a glove. Turning the music box on, a light was turned on and through the green gem beautiful stars and moon showed up in the ceiling.

"This is beautiful. I want it in my room too"

Bella breathed. Underneath the music box, in a hidden compartment were a star shaped tile and a flower one.

"Violets for my little lamb"

Bella repeated the words aloud and pressed down on the lamb drawing and the violet tile. Immediately a hole appeared next to the drawing.

"A dumbwaiter? Houses still have that?"

Taking the red key that was hanging in the inside of the dumbwaiter panel Bella joined the others.

"Mr. Croll do you have the blueprints for the house?"

"No"

Bella turned to Jeremy with a sigh and plopped on his knees

"Bring lunch on your way back"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Bearing Thai and armed with water bottles Jeremy returned to the mansion two full hours later. He had stopped by the police station to give an update to Charlie and after glaring his way to the archives (thank you Damon) he had gotten the rat eaten blueprints of the mansion

He found Bella sitting at the entrance of his mansion looking ready to commit murder.

"What did I miss?"

He asked plopping next to her and handing her a box of her favorite food. Chewing happily Bella gave him the abbreviated version of Mr. Croll going on and on and on and on and on and on about his store and how all dolls were hand crafted.

"Please tell me you had better luck"

Chuckling darkly Jeremy told her his own adventures.

"At least I brought food. Where is everyone?"

"Playing cards at the atrium. If you want to disturb them be my guest"

"No thank you"

Jeremy laughed and the two sat in silence for a while. Finishing her pineapple fried rice and bottle of soda Bella stood up and stretched.

"Let's see those blueprints"

laying the rat eaten map on the table the two made quick work laying a page of Jeremy's tracing paper over it and redrew it as to not damage the original blueprints any more.

"There is a basement"

"There always is"

Packing up the paper and the blueprints the two headed to where the passage to the basement should be.

"Look at all this junk"

"Come on, let's look around"

The two made quick work of turning on the flashlights that Jeremy had thought to buy and began searching through the crap.

"Damn"

Jeremy exclaimed. Fresh blood pooled in his palm.

"Hey hey don't breath"

Bella advised him and took hand in hers doing the same. The two cousins had the same blood issues. Softly Bella poured her water bottle on the wound and pressed a bandage on it

"I don't think you'll need stitches but everything in here is ancient. You should go to a hospital at least for a shot"

Jeremy gave her epic puppy eyes but nodded nonetheless. Bella hauled the crap to the middle of the room and assembled it quickly. The final object was long and circular. It looked a lot like a pressure thing she had seen in Baywatch

"Ask Carlisle what that is, while you're there"

She told her cousin and took a picture with his phone of the large device. Then she put her cousin to a taxi and called Charlie to know to go pick him. With a sigh she sat back down and pulled out her notebook trying to make sense of the mess

At the hospital Jeremy was sitted in one of the ER rooms. Carlisle was quickly stitching the palm with butterfly plastic thingies since it was deeper than it looked and the wrapped it up.

Jeremy was observing everything the vampire did out of habit, feeling his hunter urges bubbling just under the surface. He was ready to attack (even if it'd be a suicide mission) at the first wrong move Carlisle would do.

"There you're all set. I'd advice to not use your hand for a few days in case the stitches tear"

Carlisle said after applying a tetanus shot at Jeremy's shoulder. Charlie thanked him as Jeremy patted his jeans pockets awkwardly with the wrong hand.

"Do you know what this is?"

He handed Carlisle his phone. Carlisle's blond eyebrows shot to his hairline as he recognized the device

"It's an iron lung. It was in the 1950's to treat polio victims with weakened breathing muscles"

He explained. Jeremy nodded

"Where did you find this?"

"Someone's basement. How do I find out if someone had polio?"

"Track down the seller of the lung"

Carlisle smiled paternally pointing one long pale finger at unreadable tag. Jeremy shot him anamused look.

"It says Seattle medical supply"

"I'll take a shot in the dark and say the company doesn't exist anymore"

Jeremy grumbled. Charlie chuckled

"But newspapers do kiddo"

Sitting at the cruiser, uncle and nephew cruised the old papers for information on all recipients of the specific lung in Forks. Predictably it was only one. Tina Croll

"So Daniel Croll had an older sister. You owe me 5 bucks Jerry"

Bella's voice chirped over the phone.

"Bite me cuz"

"Wrong cousin"

Bella was laughing as she hung up the phone. At least the story made sense now. Checking over at Mr. Croll, she found him sleeping soundly knocked out while Greta and Daniel were playing chess. Quietly she crept up to the attic to snoop around some more. If there were more answers to be found, they'd be here, in this hidden room.

Uncovering all chests she found five locks. Each was in a different color so she began to unlock them. She only a key to one of them but that it why bobby pins are made for. In each of the locked trunk she found a photograph.

One was a portrait of a little girl, Tina.

One was of the little girl leaning on crunches her legs supported by heavy metal things.

A pregnant Mrs. Croll was lying on an armchair with Tina reaching for her mother's belly.

A family picture with both children

A photo of Mr. Croll and Daniel only.

"They sent Tina away. Probably after Daniel was born. That's why she blames him"

"They sent me away because of you! Because of YOU"

The ghost lady, Tina, was screaming at an oblivious Daniel in the middle of the grand hall. Mr. Croll was crying standing next to his son his eyes set on the form of his daughter. Charlie gasped seeing the wind picking on the various chimes around father and son.

"Tina, Tina listen to me"

Jeremy tried to attack the attention of the ghost.

"Is this her?"

Daniel asked in a wondrous tone looking around him, everywhere but the irate ghost.

"No the ghost of Christmas past"

Charlie deadpanned under his breath. Even he had figured it all out. Mr. Croll smiled and put both hands on his heart

"Little lamb! Ohmy lovely little lamb"

He sang as Bella descended the steps fast.

"Can we cut it out with the lambs already? I'm starting to feel like dinner again"

Bella grumbled under her breath.

"She's pissed off"

Jeremy shouted over the wheezing of the wind.

"We need to get her to calm down"

Bella replied as her hair flew crazily around her face. Daniel was watching his father with wide eyes as Mr. Croll had a serene expression on his face

"Try to put the room as it was when she was alive?"

Charlie proposed. The voice of reason. Everyone nodded and set to work under the watchful eye of Tina's ghost that was standing on the stairs.

Bella uncovered the furniture.

Charlie pried all windows open.

Daniel Croll hang his sister's portrait back to its original place.

Jeremy worked on the fuse box with one hand until he replaced all the burned fuses with the ones he'd found lying around the house.

Tina still wouldn't stop.

"Tina stop it. It wasn't Daniel's fault"

Jeremy tried to say but Tina ignored him and the teen boy went flying backwards to the stairs

"You're her father Croll, talk to her"

Charlie instructed Mr. Croll exasperated.

"Tina, my little lamb, it's my fault we sent you away. Not Daniel's"

"You're lying!"

The ghost interrupted.

"She thinks you're lying"

Bella informed Mr. Croll kneeling next to Jeremy to make sure her cousin was okay. Mr. Croll shook his head sadly

"No baby. Your mother suffered a stroke just after Danno was born. I was devastated but I couldn't toggle your illness, your mother's illness, your infant brother and the company by myself so... I sent you away, to get the help you needed"

Mr. Croll broke down crying

"Really?"

The ghost asked calming down.

"Really"

Mr. Croll replied as if he'd heard his daughter. Maybe he had.

"I'm not mad anymore"

The ghost, Tina, said in a childish tone. She had in fact reverted back to a child and reached to hug her brother who shed a tear as Tina tried to touch him.

"I love you both"

Mr. Croll said putting a hand on his son's arm tears flowing freely down his cheeks.

"Bye"

Tina called as she crossed over. Bella wiped her own tears.

"She's gone"

Jeremy informed them.

Later that night at Forks one and only cafe bar Jeremy was sitting at a booth with the rest of the clan all talking amiably.

"What were you two doing for two days?"

Mr. Gilbert asked his grandchildren who shared a look and replied with one breath

"Charity"

Mrs. Gilbert raised both eyebrows in mock surprise, chuckled and raised her wine glass to her lips. Renée smirked as well before reaching out touch his bandaged palm

"You got that too at charity?"

"Yep"

The teen replied popping the 'p'. Everyone laughed around the table choosing to have fun together instead of revealing their secrets. Then again Renée could never keep a secret.

"I had a pregnancy scare last month"

The revelation broke the floodgates

"Elena contacted us for money"

"I have a girlfriend"

"I see ghosts"

Jeremy added earning himself an eye roll.

"Honey we're being serious"

Renée told her nephew. Bella choked on her cherry cola hiding her laughter at Jeremy's dumbfounded expression.

"Why do I even bother? I'm going dancing"

The teen retorted upset and walked straight to a raven haired, amber eyed girl from his drawing class.

"Who is she?"

"Amber, they've been on a few dates so far."

"Is she a good girl?"

"Yeah"

"Is she from a good family?"

Mrs. Gilbert finished the round of questions

"She's the Jim to his Melinda"

Bella joked and made a beeline away from the table joining Jeremy long enough to whisper to her cousin

"Expect the Spanish inquisition tomorrow"

Before joining a certain caramel haired, grey eyed average Joe of her own. Jeremy and Charlie weren't the only ones with a love life

The end


End file.
